Always October

by Bruce Coville

One stormy night, sixth-grader Jacob Doolittle finds a baby in a basket on his front porch. To Jake’s surprise, his mother decides to care for the baby, hoping its mother will return.

However, that surprise is nothing compared to what happens to “Little Dumpling” the first time there’s a full moon…. Soon Jake and his best friend, “Weird Lily” Carker, find themselves in “Always October,” the secret world of monsters. Even more frightening, they discover that the safety of both the human world and Always October depends on them protecting Little Dumpling from a group of monsters out to kidnap him.

Listen to samples from this audiobook:

Always October0:56

Reviews:

“The highlight of the recording is the reading of the two main characters, Jacob and Lily, voiced by two young actors who deftly use their voices to believably express wonder, terror, happiness, and more.” — Booklist May 15, 2014

“The full cast narration gives distinct voice to each of the well defined characters. The story is told alternating Jake and Lily’s point of view and these two strong voice actors, Zac Fletcher and Nancy O’Connor, are well cast. . . . a worthy addition to any youth services library.” — School Library Journal February, 2014

“A full cast of voices brings this spooky, fun audiobook to life. The delight begins with the voices of the children who portray 12-year-old Jake and Lily, two friends who discover the world of “Always October,” where monsters rule. Kids and adults will marvel at the excellent and refreshing performances of these two young narrators, as well as every other perfectly cast voice. There are many monster voices, some of them funny and others utterly frightening. As Lily and Jake try to escape from “Always October” and save the human world, their exciting adventures are enhanced by sound effects and fitting music. This is a perfectly entertaining thriller for anyone who loves a good scare.” Earphones Award — AudioFile April. 2014

“Featuring age-appropriate casting and a fresh voice for every character in the Full Cast Audio tradition, Always October is a choice pick for children’s library audiobook shelves, and year-round fun for listeners ages 8 and up – adults too!” — Children’s Bookwatch November, 2013

Praise for the print version of Always October:
“In this surprisingly charming blend of fantasy and mystery, Coville strikes just the right balance of terror and whimsy with his picture-book worthy descriptions of the monstrous inhabitants of Always October. Jake and Lily alternate narration, and they represent two common and entirely relatable responses to fear: Jake is a multi-phobic who attempts to control every aspect of his life, while Lily is a thrillseeker whose response to being scared is to find something that scares her even more. Their voices are authentically kid-centered, and readers will likely recognize aspects of themselves in both reactions” — Bulletin of the Center for Children

“From the very first line (“We’ve only got two weeks before Jake has to turn into a monster for the first time”) to the riveting ending, this fantasy will have readers turning pages recklessly. . . . Bursting with enticing characters and building tension, this book has everything a reader could want—breathtaking suspense, monstrously entertaining worldbuilding and lots of “punny” and burp-and-fart humor.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The story alternates between Jacob’s and Lily’s points of view. With the right combination of horror and humor, this book will hold readers in its grip and have them asking for more.” — School Library Journal